A tree branch brings a powerline down in Blackburn. Picture: Lawrence Pinder Source: HeraldSun
VICTORIA’S wild and windy day is set to get worse tonight.
The weather bureau expects 100km/h winds will whip Melbourne around 10pm and the State Emergency Service is preparing for further damage after dealing with 300 calls for help today.
The strongest gust in Melbourne today was 91km/h at Melbourne Airport around midday but Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Richard Carlyon said the winds would strengthen tonight after a brief afternoon lull.
''We expect them to increase further into the evening,'' Mr Carlyon said.
''The strongest winds will come until a change in the early hours of Saturday morning.''
Mr Carlyon said 100km/h winds in Melbourne could be accompanied by sharp thunderstorms late tonight and some rainfall, before a cold front sweeps through the city.
It comes after a wild day in which hundreds of homes lost power in Ballarat.
The Bureau of Meteorology recorded 63km/h winds hitting the city at that time.
Powercor spokeswoman Lyndall King said 518 houses and businesses across Ballarat, Ballarat Central, Lake Wendouree and Wendouree had been affected.
A fallen tree damages a house in Windsor. Picture: Jason Edwards
About 400 homes remained without power at 6.30pm and crews were working extensively to get them back online, Ms King said.
''Because of the severity of the storm, it’s taking quite a while to restore,'' Ms King said.
SES spokesman Stefan Delatovic said Ballarat had been the hardest hit area in Victoria, with about 100 calls for help by 6pm.
''There were quite a few trees blown down and minor building damage here and there,'' Mr Delatovic said.
He said crews were on standby tonight as the winds were expected to whip up again.
Mr Carlyon said the highest gusts recorded by 6pm were in the Grampians, with winds reaching 117km/h earlier today.
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